Chapter 177 – Watching Polo

Xu Chun drank a decoction to sober up, and it wasn’t until the afternoon that he finally felt better. His face was sallow, and he looked wilted as he read a book, occasionally jotting down notes with his pen.

Xie Yi returned from the morning court session and, seeing his pensive expression, asked with a smile, “What are you doing?”

Xu Chun replied gloomily, “Mr. Shen told me to read several related books and further refine my memorial. There are still some numbers to crunch. The official appointment should come through soon, and there are many things waiting for me in Jinhai Fort.”

His voice grew softer, deep inside, he wanted nothing more than to stay with Brother Nine, but there was indeed much to do in Jinhai, and he had so many plans. Realizing what Mr. Shen had pointed out, he became acutely aware of how little time he had left. He could only work faster, faster, not wanting Brother Nine to face the pressure alone.

Xie Yi said, “Why waste such good weather indoors? Come on, I’ll take you to watch polo.”

Xu Chun stared at him, speechless.

He looked at Xie Yi and said, “I have a headache… I can’t play.” Actually, it was his back and legs that hurt, every part of him aching. There was no way he could mount a horse.

How could Xie Yi not know? But he also knew that after last night’s indulgence, once sober, Xu Chun would never bring up what happened again. If he wanted another night like that, he’d have to coax him slowly. Ignoring it for now, he laughed and said, “We’re just going for a stroll to clear your head, not making you play. Today’s weather is nice, and the polo field in the Imperial Garden is bustling with activity. Several matches are taking place, and many princes and ministers are watching.”

“I’ve invited Zi Jing, Zi Xing, Nong Siji, and Sheng Changtian. Recently, I gifted them fine horses, so I’m sure they’re itching to show off their skills. What’s the point of staying cooped up inside? Let’s go see the games, and I’ll have them prepare a few exquisite dishes for us to enjoy while we watch.”

Xu Chun perked up at this. “Great!” Initially, he hadn’t been keen on leaving, but by nature, he loved crowds. Hearing that he didn’t have to play and that there would be company to chat with, he couldn’t help but feel excited.

Seeing him finally brighten up, Xie Yi’s eyes sparkled with amusement. He immediately ordered for them to change clothes, and the two boarded a carriage to head out. They arrived at the polo field next to the Imperial Garden. It was a vast, smooth lawn bordering the Spring Bright Lake, with two goalposts. On one side, stables and viewing stands were built against the Two Cranes Mountain, and pavilions and terraces followed the mountain’s slope, providing a place for the nobility to watch the polo matches. The Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion stood proudly atop the Two Cranes Mountain.

The sunny day in June was perfect for polo. The area below the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion was under strict security, surrounded by imperial guards, and a curtain blocked the entrance to prevent unauthorized access. Xu Chun had played polo here before, but today he was with the owner of the polo field. As he walked alongside Xie Yi towards the Pavilion, he chuckled, “People used to say that the Emperor was frugal, not wanting the royal polo field to lie idle. So he opened it to students of the Imperial Academy, scholars of the National University, and the imperial guards and the Five Chief Military Commissions, requiring only a small fee to reserve the field.”

Xie Yi nodded. “Yes, that was My decree.”

Xu Chun grinned. “Later, I did the math myself and realized the palace must be profiting from it. I bet there’s millions of coins earned each year. And when I heard that the Emperor would often drop by the polo field on a whim to watch a game, nobles in the capital would rush to make reservations, making it even more profitable. Brother Nine, you truly know how to make money.”

Xie Yi turned to look at him, his expression ambiguous. “So you were criticizing your sovereign back then? Bold.”

Xu Chun leaned closer to Xie Yi. “No, now that I know it’s Brother Nine, I admire you even more. How could there be such a wise and heroic Brother Nine—polo has always been a military game, and surely Brother Nine intended to promote martial prowess. Riding horses to secure the world, dismounting to write articles—isn’t that what Brother Nine advocates?”

Xie Yi replied, “Not quite. I was simply poor. I grew up within the palace walls, clueless about making money. All I could do was scavenge for a bit of cash from the corners of the palace to make ends meet, certainly not comparable to someone who could spend a fortune to win a smile.”

Xu Chun secretly reached for Xie Yi’s wrist and cooed sweetly, “My dear sir, I’m willing to give you everything I have accumulated in my life, just for your smile.”

Xie Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Everything you’ve accumulated? What is that?”

Lost in the charm of Xie Yi’s smile, Xu Chun assumed he enjoyed hearing such honeyed words. He continued, “Of course, silks, gold, silver treasures, large ships, and high carriages.”

Xie Yi saw that he still didn’t understand and knew that besides having a sweet mouth, Xu Chun really didn’t know how to speak crudely. He smiled slightly, not saying anything else, merely chuckling, “Well, alright. Then I’ll wait for your ironclad ship.”

As they entered the viewing platform at the highest point of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion, they heard the cheers from the polo field below.

Xu Chun was instantly captivated, leaning over the balcony railing to look down. He saw the red and blue teams of polo players galloping on their horses, wielding mallets, advancing and retreating with agility. The ball darted like lightning, and the horses thundered across the field, creating an impressive sight.

His eyes fixed on the action below, he suddenly exclaimed excitedly to Xie Yi, “Brother Nine, Brother Nine, it’s Big Brother Zi Xing! Indeed, his horse is magnificent! Did you gift it to him? He’s on the same team as Nong Siji!”

“There’s also Scholar He! He knows how to play polo too! Which team is playing which team? Ha ha, the score is neck and neck. Is Big Brother Zi Xing holding back?”

Xie Yi explained, “It’s the Imperial Academy team versus the imperial guard team. To prevent the imperial guards from being too domineering, half of the Hanlin scholars are on the imperial guard team.”

Xu Chun watched as the students of the Imperial Academy moved swiftly around the field and sincerely remarked, “Many of them look familiar. I see Xie Ji, hasn’t Xie Fei finished mourning yet? Are these all your juniors, Brother Nine?”

Xie Yi chuckled. “Yes, Xie Fei is of my generation, but most of my contemporaries are older than me. These are my nephews.”

Xu Chun watched with interest for a while. “Indeed, they all possess extraordinary qualities.”

Xie Yi said, “Is that the only phrase you know to describe the sons of the imperial clan? I remember when you first met Xie Fei, you came back and told me he possessed extraordinary qualities as well.”

Xu Chun flushed slightly. “Brother Nine, it’s been so long since that happened, how do you still remember? You’re laughing at me for being uneducated.”

Xie Yi encouraged him. “It’s fine, you paint well. Do you want to paint a few strokes today? I’ll have them prepare ink and brushes for you.”

Xu Chun felt a sudden urge to paint. “Alright.”

In no time, they set up brushes, ink, paper, and colored inks on the table. Leaning by the window, Xu Chun sketched a draft. As he watched, Nong Siji raised his mallet to strike the ball, but unexpectedly, a youth in a dark red robe darted past him, knocking the ball away with his mallet. Nong Siji hurriedly chased after his horse.

Xu Chun laughed. “Wow, how bold, to snatch the ball from Big Brother Nong’s mallet. Who is he?”

Xie Yi glanced over. “Xie Xiao, the grandson of Duke Keqin.”

Xu Chun nodded. “He seems younger than Xie Ji, truly young and accomplished.” He looked around and pointed to another player. “Who’s the one in green?”

Xie Yi said, “Xie Li, the grandson of Prince Li. Why ask about him?”

Xu Chun chuckled. “Everyone on his team keeps passing him the ball. When you mentioned he’s the heir of Prince Li, I understood. He must be especially good at studies, and he looks good too.” With a warm smile, he turned to Xie Yi. “They say the Emperor likes those who excel in scholarship and can get things done.”

Xie Yi spoke gently. “I like what kind of people, you know best.” His hand rested on Xu Chun’s waist. “Can’t see clearly from here, right? It’ll take them a while to prepare and serve the dishes. You can go down and walk around, catch up with Zi Xing and the others, and your Brother He and Brother Nong.”

Xu Chun secretly touched Xie Yi’s hand under the guise of his sleeve, knowing that Xie Yi had probably noticed his unhappiness and brought him out to cheer him up. Feeling comforted, he smiled. “I’ll be back in a bit to have dinner with Brother Nine.”